The Apple Tree
by DeathandJunkfood
Summary: There was something a little bit rotten about her sister that Lily hadn't seen before. Something a little bit corrupted, like one of the overripe apples on the tree above them. Sickly-sweet and putrefying on the inside. But she wasn't going to let that get in the way of the reason she was here. She was here for her sister's wedding, and nothing was going to stop that.


_**A.N.**_

 _ **House: Slytherin.**_

 _ **Category: Theme.**_

 _ **Prompts: Acceptance.**_

 _ **Word count: 845.**_

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 _ **Disclaimer... these characters belong to JKR.**_

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"Tuney-"

"Don't beg, Lily. It's childish."

"Christ, I'm not _begging_."

"It's final, Lily. You're not on the guest list."

Petunia's brow was furrowed, her hair freshly bleached, her nails painted hot pink. They looked like cotton candy talons, to Lily.

Lily tried again, because she _wasn't going to give up_ , because Petunia had always been a bit mean but she'd never been cruel like this and Lily just didn't understand.

"James wouldn't come, if that's what you're worried about," she said flatly, taking a step back from her sister.

It was a strange place to have a fight, in a church garden. Roses were climbing wild over the fence, filling the air with heavy, heady perfume. Lily fought the urge to sneeze. She'd never liked roses.

"It's not _him_. It's _you_."

"Me?"

Petunia let out a breathy huff, turning on her low bright pink heel impatiently. She was impeccably dressed in a tight floral sundress with hot pink accents that matched her shoes and her nails. A matching cardigan was thrown over her bony shoulders.

"It's _always_ you, Lily. Everything's about you. Ever since we were children, and you first went off to your freak school – Mum and Daddy were so _accepting_ – God, Lily, they were _proud_."

"You were jealous, Petunia! I understand, but you don't get to rewrite history to suit your little – victim's narrative."

Petunia curled her lip.

There was something a little bit rotten about her sister that Lily hadn't seen before. Something a little bit corrupted, like one of the overripe apples on the tree above them. Sickly-sweet and putrefying on the inside.

It scared Lily.

"It was lovely seeing you, Lily. Vernon and I are so sorry you'll be out of town for the wedding."

"Oh fuck you." Lily retorted, too tired and sad to think of anything else to say. "Is this the story you're going with now?"

Petunia primly folded her white gloved hands together, smiling sharply.

"Swearing in church, Lily?"

"I'm not religious! Petunia – I understand you're angry, but you're my sister and I _care_ about you. I won't come to the reception. I just – I just want to see my sister marry someone she loves."

Petunia's smile faltered for a moment.

"You do, don't you?" Lily asked, a suspicion rising up. "Love him?"

Petunia reached up and plucked an apple from the tree above them, handing it to Lily.

Lily took the piece of bruised, sticky fruit, turning it in her hands. It was red, red, with just a hint of a green shimmer on one side, and the juice that leaked onto her hands was unsettlingly warm. She resisted the urge to drop it in the long grass that covered her feet.

She could smell the rotten apples too. Thick in her throat, with a bitter edge.

"I always thought it was odd," Petunia murmured, not quite looking at Lily.

"What was odd?" Lily asked gently, trying to give her sister space to respond.

"That they'd have an apple tree, in a church yard."

Lily frowned.

"'And the serpent said unto the woman: 'Ye shall not surely die; for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as God, knowing good and evil,''" Petunia quoted.

"Maybe they realize we all have our own choices to make," Lily said, trying to resist the temptation to roll her eyes. Petunia had never missed a Sunday when they were children. "That it doesn't matter what others try to convince you to do, it matters what you choose."

"That didn't go well for Eve, did it?"

Petunia couldn't be farther from Eve, standing under the apple tree, with her colour coordinated lipstick-nails-shoes-dress-cardigan. With her bleached hair sprayed stiff and immovable, as stiff as her spine.

"Or maybe," Lily said, tossing the apple up and catching again. Her fingers left bruises in the soft skin. "Maybe it's just an apple tree."

The sun filtered through the leaves of the tree, dappling Lily's skin in shadow and light. Petunia looked uncertain and Lily was caught between anger and pity. Her sister – sweet, bossy, insecure. Her sister – cold, cruel, pitiful.

"Tuney, just let me come," Lily whispered, reaching out, and letting the apple fall to the ground at her feet.

Petunia bit her lip, smearing her perfect pink lipstick.

She started to shake her head, golden hair shifting and catching the light, sparking up.

"Tuney – I miss you."

Petunia let Lily take her hand. Petunia's was cool and sheathed in white cotton. Lily's was warm, and a little sticky from the apple.

"It's Vernon," Petunia whispered. "He _knows_."

"It'll be ok," Lily said, watching with some alarm as her sister's eyes brimmed with tears. She fumbled for a tissue, before Petunia pulled a handkerchief out of her purse and dabbed daintily at her eyes.

Lily wrapped her sister in her arms, wishing that they were children again and this was just a fight over a shared toy. But they weren't and it wasn't, and she would have to make do.

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 ** _A.N. Thanks for reading!_**


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